Biography of Isaac Oliver 1565-1617

Isaac Oliver 1565-1617 is in Painters.

Around 1565 Isaac Oliver was born in Rouen, France [Map].

Around 1590 Isaac Oliver (age 25). Portrait of Henry Stanley 4th Earl of Derby (age 58).

1612. Studio of Isaac Oliver (age 47). Miniature Portrait of (probably) Lucy Harrington Countess Bedford (age 32). Oliver painted the woman's pearl earrings using Nicholas Hilliard's jewelling technique, which involved laying a raised blob of white lead paint with some shadowing to one side. This form was then crowned with a rounded touch of real silver that was burnished with, to quote Hilliard, "a pretty little tooth of some ferret or stoat or other wild little beast." This technique brought the silver to a sparkling highlight, while actual gold is used to paint the pearl's gold setting. Silver tarnishes with age, therefore, the pearl earrings now appear black.

Before 02 Oct 1617 Isaac Oliver (age 52) died.

On 02 Oct 1617 Isaac Oliver (age 52) was buried.

Evelyn's Diary. 10 Aug 1655. To Albury, to visit Mr. Howard (age 27), who had begun to build, and alter the gardens much. He showed me many rare pictures, particularly the Moor on horseback; Erasmus, as big as the life, by Holbein; a Madonna, in miniature, by Oliver; but, above all, the skull, carved in wood, by Albert Durer, for which his father was offered £100; also Albert's head, by himself, with divers rare agates, intaglios, and other curiosities.